The North American Butterfly Association names the Monty Andrews Arboretum in West Blalock Park in Venice a Certified Butterfly Garden.

 

 

 

The North American Butterfly Association names the Monty Andrews Arboretum in West Blalock Park in Venice a Certified Butterfly Garden.

 

City of Venice

 

 

Volunteer Monty Andrews, for whom the Arboretum is named, received the certification Oct. 12.

 

“Since that time, we have doubled the size of the garden and planted an additional 20 Florida attracting native plants to the site,” Monty said. “It is important to add this certification to the Arboretum, as the whole idea of the project is to help educate and instruct interested visitors on its importance and environmental impact. Volunteers and the City Public Works Department staff work hard to maintain the park and make it a valuable asset to the community.” Monty especially noted the efforts of volunteers Tracy and Larry Ivey.

 

“Both the ArbNet Level II and the NABA certifications add creditability to the Arboretum,” Monty added.

 

The North American Butterfly Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to promote the public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies. Find out more here: https://www.naba.org/aboutNABA.html

 

The Monty Andrews Arboretum was awarded Level I accreditation in May 2019 by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. In August 2020, the Arboretum was awarded the advanced Level II accreditation. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity and professionalism. The Monty Andrews Arboretum is recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.